Search

Abstract: A diode laser-pumped acoustic-optic Q-switched Nd:YAG master-oscillator power amplifier laser is presented. The laser is quasi continuously pumped at 1.1kHz with a pulse width of 172μs, and the ultrasonic frequency of the AO Q-switcher is set at a higher value (53kHz). The master oscillator is designed as a thermally near-unstable-resonator, which presents an average output power of 48W with a beam quality value of M 2 =1.41 and a Q-switching pulse duration of 121ns. The maximum average power of the MOPA system is 654W, and the beam quality is M 2 =6. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]